A nervous Carl Paladino absorbed barbs from Kristin M. Davis, a former madam.

And we had this possibly prophetic comment from Freedom Party candidate Charles Barron, a New York City councilman and former Black Panther: "Asking Andrew Cuomo and Carl Paladino to end corruption is like asking an arsonist to help us put out the fire. It doesn't make sense."

The upcoming gubernatorial election is shaping up to be less informative that the last crowded race, and certainly less entertaining for the voters. In all likelihood, incumbent Democrat Cuomo will avoid any face-to-face confrontations with either his primary opponent, Zephyr Teachout, or his November Republican foe, Rob Astorino.

Cuomo's camp apparently believes the governor has nothing to gain and everything to lose in a televised sit-down with his two challengers.

Despite the recent wave of bad publicity from Cuomo's meddling with the Moreland Commission, the incumbent retains a 32-percentage-point edge against his challenger, 58 percent to 26 percent. Astorino trails Cuomo by 60 points in New York City, 25 points in the downstate suburbs and 14 points among upstate voters. And 57 percent of the voters said they have no opinion of Astorino, according to the Siena poll.

Despite this dominant position in the polls, Cuomo owes it to the electorate to agree to a series of debates with both his primary and general election challenger. A frank discussion of critical issues facing the state deserve an open airing.

The voters want to compare the candidates' vision on lifting the upstate economy out of the doldrums. Both pro- and anti-drilling forces want to learn if natural gas drilling is a part of the economic plan. Cuomo needs to answer to the voters on the Moreland Commission allegations. Parents, teacher and other interested parties want to know more about the future of the Common Core curriculum.

Other issues that could be addressed in a debate:

• What is the best way for New York to use its surplus?

• How should New York make its school districts more efficient?

• How should New York reduce the multiple layers of oversight that add costs to schools and local government?

• Why do New Yorkers pay some of the highest rates in United States for electricity?

Voters and the larger democracy lose when a candidate refuses to debate. Cuomo needs to come out of hiding and debate his opponents for the electorate to make an informed decision on Nov. 4.